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 The factory system was irresistible. The change
from workshop to mill proved to be more than just a turning point
in the history of textile production, it was a radical restructuring
of the character, organisation and meaning of work itself; it
was a profound cultural transformation.
Throughout the nineteenth century the factory
system and its methods of management would influence all sectors
of the British economy. Combined with a new power source, the
steam engine, it would be responsible for the rapid urbanisation
of towns and cities leaving us a vast legacy in the creation
of much of our built environment.
 For those who experienced the consequences
of the Industrial Revolution this was not just an economic question
concerning the relative merits or efficiency of one form of organisation
and technology over another, it was also an important range of
social and political issues which found expression in the activities
of Luddites and Chartists, and ultimately provided the origins
of our modern world.
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